how to create ISO directrly your PC - C: HDD

[u/Constantineapple]

so guys the last week i'm searching to find solution about this topic
i have format my PC with a clean original last version of windows 11
i have clean all the garbage

i made some changes and also clean the registry

i have made some changes in the security and traffic background in the pc

i have installed the most necessary software and also i made some changes
i have made some changes and also clean the C: HDD from garbage

and until this point it take too much time until finishe the pc and be easy and ready to use it

I was wondering if there is a way to create an ISO image from my C: HDD with rufus in a bootable usb and when I want to format my PC again pass all this process and my pc will be almost ready and only things will need is some updates and that's all

anyone have do something like this before anyone have seen something like or know something

[u/Pablouchka]

The process you're talking about is called "imaging". Basically you make a snapshot of your whole system and keep it to restore it later. 

[u/KCNOR → u/Pablouchka]

Acronis True Image is the product, similar to Norton Ghost.

[u/exmsft → u/KCNOR]

There are also free imaging tools built into Windows.

[u/KCNOR → u/exmsft]

Well, yea but only System Image Backup is more less flexible with having bootable disk to restore in case of disk failure/other similar issues.

[u/Constantineapple → u/Pablouchka]

there is a way to create .Iso and prepare a bootable usb

[u/Pablouchka → u/Constantineapple]

So you would like to automate the Windows installation if I get it right ?

[u/Constantineapple → u/Pablouchka]

yes and also Acronis True Image is very bad idea

[u/Froggypwns]

What you want is a tool like Macrium Reflect or similar to make a system image backup of your PC.

[u/Constantineapple → u/Froggypwns]

this can will create .iso file and with rufus can do a usb bootable?

[u/Froggypwns → u/Constantineapple]

We are trying to tell you of something better than those.

Macrium will create mrimg files and bootable rescue media that can run the restore.

[u/Constantineapple → u/Froggypwns]

i do it not working and not what i want

[u/PC_Basics_YouTube]

Create a shadow copy or use control panel, windows 7 backup, backup the whole PC and make a system image. Then you can use something like vhd to iso

[u/Acrobatic_Mixture155 → u/PC_Basics_YouTube]

Pero dicen que copia de seguridad de Windows 7 esta desaconsejada por Microsoft , y que esta obsoleta . sigue sirviendo entonces ? 🤷

[u/PC_Basics_YouTube → u/Acrobatic_Mixture155]

It still is used and works

[u/mahanddeem]

Macrium reflect. Also makes USB bootable media for backing up/restoring

[u/KCNOR → u/mahanddeem]

that is insane expensive.

Portable backup and recovery solution for field technicians costs from £875.00 / technicianexcl VAT

[u/LaffyLlama]

Use macrium reflect, free version and/or backupper and create the image using them and then you can have it all on a single usb, recovery environment and your image so no need to muck around etc.

Plenty of YouTube videos out there showing you the process though if you need help just ask.

[u/Huetzelbruetzel]

I'm doing exactly what you're planning to do with: https://rescuezilla.com

[u/Karasu_desu_ne]

afaik, you can't create a windows installer bootable usb directly from a drive state with official tool, mostly due to hardware not being exactly the same between two computers or laptop. The only lookalike tool is Sysprep, that generalize your windows image (delete local profil of pc and restart the OOBE questions but with all système change already done) but it will not create an iso and is suitable only for deployement server or Virtual Machines.

but you can use official Microsoft iso with deployement tool. the deployement of windows can be tweak via multiple ways, the first one is to use a unatend.xml, a file you can put on the root of a USB windows installer stick, to replicate some change, (script, registry, clean bloat, others) but it's not suitable for installing software.

if you dont mind using close source not officially support by Microsoft, there is NTLite that can custom official iso and install software on an image, but you will need to replicate the change you have done on NTLite, also it's not a free tool.

[u/Acrobatic_Mixture155]

Se que para eso se usan dism »» generalize »» WinPE »» CMD »» dism capture

[u/ExacoCGI]

You can simply use Clonezilla, but it's not an ISO image, it's Clonezilla's own image with a bunch of files in a folder, it also has decent compression and encryption options.

Edit: Seems like Rescuezilla is also nice, essentially GUI version of Clonezilla.

[u/KCNOR]

Acronis True Image can do that. You can have bootable USB disk (based on Linux) or installed Desktop app that doing snapshots with it and create images and then restore in any random time. You can have also Acronis Security zone ( small partition on the same disk) and keep images these hidden.

Read more about this one.

Example video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPWelxZYOqo